Final Fantasy 7: The Final Journey
by DemonDoor
Summary: After their hardship and their pain, the team have finally finished their mission and are leading normal lives. However, a new coporation has taken over, and an old enemy lurks in the shadows. UPDATE! REVIEW PLEASE! Need some pointers.....
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any Final Fantasy Characters.**_

_**Hey all, this is DemonDoor, saying that this is my very first fic about anything! Hope you like it.**_

_**Here we go!**_

They thought it was finally over, the pain, the hardship, the battle. After Cloud had delivered the final blow to Sephiroth, destroying him and his plan, and preventing Jenova from taking over the world, a large part of him uttered a sigh of relief. Shinra was finished too, the President dead after an attack on Shinra HQ by Diamond Weapon, and Scarlet and Heidigger being vaporized, along with their ultimate weapon, the Proud Clod. With them destroyed, the team next turned to finally destroy all the Mako reactors on the planet. When they finished this task, the gang bid their farewells to each other, and went their separate ways, hoping for a more peaceful life. They thought they could relax. They thought it was over.

It was far from over.

Just a year after Shinra was finished, a new corporation slowly took over. Its name was I.D.E.A (International Development for Economy and Agriculture) and it was lead my a one Clef Lowgrave, who had used the funds he had from being the son of a wealthy businessman, to build an entirely different metropolis over the ashes of Midgar, which he had named NewMidgar, and organized an army vaster and more powerful then the Shinra army before them. However despite this, the plate was still there, and people below still suffered from poverty and dsease. He also harnessed a way to use Mako as a fuel and energy source without harming the earth. Or so he says. There is very little known about the cooperation, and many of the people outside NewMidgar refer to I.D.E.A. as "ShinraII", thinking that it was just more lives and cover up stories. Of course there are some who are just as gullible as before, and believe everything that I.D.E.A say. However, there is no factual evidence to suggest that they are or are indeed not legitimate.

After the earth was safe from destruction, the Weapons returned to the Northern Crater and went back into a geological hibernation, where they waited until they were next needed by the planet. Immediately after I.D.E.A. came into power, they sealed off the Northern Crater and denied all claims that they were angering the Weapons, forcing them to rise up once more and once more wreak havoc and chaos once more, just like they did before.

However, people seemed to be more relaxed and carefree, and the team finally lead a normal life.

This, however, was all about to change…


	2. The man in the black cloak

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any Final Fantasy characters.**_

**_AN: Hey, this is the first chapter! Still had no reviews yet though…. :( Oh well, I'm sure I will soon! This chapter shows you what Cloud is up to at the moment. Hope you like it, it took me a while._**

**_Let's do this!_**

**Chapter 1: The man in the black cloak**

"It's OK, Cloud. Leave everything to me…."

"She is becoming a nuisance that girl. She must be disposed of…."

"Cloud, what are you doing? Cloud!"

"Stop pretending that you have emotions….."

"Because Cloud you are….."

"……a puppet….."

Cloud woke in a start, beads of sweat trickling down his face. His bed spread was thrown onto the floor, and he was shivering all over, despite it being one of the hottest mornings in Mideel ever. He leaned over his bed, rubbing his temples and pressing his eyes so he could see more clearly, and counted that it was the fourth nightmare that he had had that month. His mouth was dry, ad he had a splitting headache, so he went to the kitchen and drank a bottle of water he pulled from the fridge. He looked outside into the early rising sun, the oranges and yellows of the morning sky dancing together creating a vivid sunrise. The grass glowed green as the sun hit it, and the shadows crept from behind the buildings and trees within the village of Mideel.  
"It's so beautiful here…." Cloud thought to himself, mesmerised by the sheer brilliance of the scenery. It must have been just 7 o'clock, but already children were out, playing and having fun in the sun, while their parents went about there daily business, collecting groceries and chatting to their neighbours. It was so calm, so serene.

Clouds thoughts quickly returned to the nightmare. Every time it was the same situation. He would be looking at himself, standing on the pillar before Aries in the city of the Ancients, and he would see himself under Sephiroths control, trying to kill her himself. His other self would try and warn him, but no sound escaped from his lips. Then he'd hear the pleas of his team-mates, begging him to stop trying to kill Aries and then he would see him…..the person whom he hated more than anyone else in the world.

Sephiroth.

Even after he had destroyed Sephiroth himself, there was still a part of him that thought he was still out there. He still felt a burning rage whenever his name was mentioned, like he had still won him over by killing Aries. Sometimes, Cloud swore that he could make out Sephiroths laughing at night, and hear the screams of his family and friends in the burning village of Nibelheim. He had taken everything from him….

Cloud thought it best to forget about it and hurried to the bathroom. There, he washed the sleep out of his eyes, brushed his teeth and changed into his regular clothes, the SOLDIER uniform belonging to his deceased friend, Zack.

He walked out of the bathroom and out of the house, to bask in the glorious sunshine of Mideel. He had moved here straight after the adventure that he had 5 years ago, declining an offer from Tifa to come and live with her in Kalm with Marlene and Barret. He said that he needed the time to relax and think things through, saying that he would call or visit. He never did, and did not answer the letters Tifa sent him. He didn't have anything to say to her. She had helped him find out who he really was, proved that he wasn't just a failed experiment, saved his life on countless occasions and what's more, made him believe in himself again. In his eyes, she was too good for him, and thought it best not to drag her down to his level, after he had nearly caused her death 5 years ago. He thought it would be too dangerous for her to be related to him in any way.

Still, he enjoyed his life in Mideel, it was much better in comparison to living in Neibelhiem, and it was paradise compared to living in the Sector 7 slums. He enjoyed the townsfolk and the little children, the countless days lolling about in the sunshine and the nights filled with beach parties. But something was praying on the back of his mind, something he couldn't put his finger on. He sometimes thought that this life was too good for him, and that he should be living in the slums like Tifa. But then, other times he thought that this was his just reward, after how many years and months of suffering he had endured.

He walked from outside his house to the item shop to purchase some things he needed to re-stock on. He pushed the door open and walked to the counter.  
"Hey Lara, the usual please." Cloud said absentmindedly

"Rough night hun?" the shopkeeper asked, laying down the items on the table.

"You could say that…." Cloud replied, remembering the nightmare

"This will make you feel better. 1500 gil please."

"Thanks, Lara." He said

Cloud put the money on the table and walked out of the shop, items in hand.

He got home and laid the items out on the table which he checked off on his list.

5 Potions: Check

5 Hi-Potions: Check

2 Tents: Check

2 Phoenix Downs:

"Damnit, Lara forgot to give me the Phoenix Downs **(AN: Is it Downs or Down as the plural?)**

He rushed outside and was about to enter the shop again but he heard something that caught his attention.

Apparently the Head of the Village was in a heated argument with some of the villagers about a problem.

"The guy won't go away, I don't know why!" he exclaimed  
"Well tell him to go away then, you're the leader!" one of the villagers replied.

"Are you crazy! That guy gives me the creeps!"

Cloud walked over to the gathering and talked to one of the villagers.

"What's all the commotion about?" he asked casually.

"Wha…Oh it's you. Hey Cloud. There's this guy outside the village not saying a word, but he aint moving a lick. He's scaring the kids!" the villager replied.

"Alright, I'll take a look." Cloud said, pushing past the villagers making his way to the front.

What he saw turned his blood cold. It was a hooded figure. He was dressed exactly like the clones of Sephiroth and he had the tattoo "No. 10" imprinted on his arm.

"It…..it c-cant b-be!" was all Cloud managed to stutter.

The hooded figures voice was harsh and raspy.

"W…where…is…S…Sephiroth…..?" the figure groaned.

Cloud regained his composure and soothed his mind.

"He is gone. Destroyed. There is nothing for you here. Go now!" he demanded, raising his fists in anger.

The figure did not go. Instead he carried on.  
"Sephiroth….i..is…not….destroyed….he……s…summons…me….where…i..is…S..Sephiroth?" the voice repeated, in a tone that sent chills through Clouds spine.

"He is dead. Leave now, or I will destroy you!" Cloud shouted in a rage, moving closer towards the figure.

Suddenly, the figures head perked up, as if he was listening to someone. Then all of a sudden, he moved away from the village, through the forests surrounding Mideel.

Cloud was speechless for a while, the door of past demons opening up in his mind, ready to wreak havoc once more. Without saying a word, he walked slowly back to his house and picked up the pot on his shelf in his room. He walked silently to the blacksmith "Make this weapon whole again. This should cover it." He said, placing a large bag of gil on the blacksmiths table.  
The blacksmith was stunned but replied "This will take me at least a month. I suggest you spend your time practicing.", taking the gil and the pot and shuffling to back behind the shop.  
"That will be fine!" Cloud shouted after him, and he walked back to his house contemplating on what the hell he was actually planning. He got every little bit of his money and ran towards the item shop.  
"Hey hun. Back so soo-"

"Give me 10 of everything!" Cloud shouted, placing the money on the table. He knew what he had to do. That was an undeniable Sephiroth clone, no doubt about that. And he knew his suspicions were true.

Sephiroth was still alive.

**_AN: So what do you think? It took me a while so please review it. Suggestions are appreciated!_**


End file.
